environmental justice – The GW Point Source

June 21, 2024October 3, 2024

Public Engagement in Categorical Exclusions Under NEPA

By Patrick Seroogy

Photo credit: Matt Hecht

Public participation and environmental justice are fundamental to environmental law. The former has been a pillar since the enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in 1970, which established a federal environmental review framework and enabled members of the public to meaningfully engage in the decision-making process on projects whose adverse environmental impacts may affect them. The latter is the just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in agency decision-making, with a focus on communities that have historically been disproportionately burdened with adverse human health and environmental risks and hazards. Categorical exclusions (CEs) are actions that are exempted from complicated environmental review under the NEPA process because they are not meant to produce significant environmental impacts.

March 22, 2024April 10, 2024

Transboundary Climate Litigation in the “Global Neighborhood”: An Interview with Andrea Tang

By Fiorella Valladares Meneses

Photo credit: INDECI

Climate change is one of the most pressing and complex challenges of our time, affecting people and ecosystems around the world. As the impacts of climate change become increasingly apparent, individuals and organizations are turning to legal action as a means of promoting environmental justice.

February 2, 2024February 2, 2024

Professor Christine Appah-Gyamfi Leads New “Access to Justice, Environmental Justice Clinic”

The Environmental and Energy Law program is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Christine Appah-Gyamfi to lead the newly established “Access to Justice, Environmental Justice Clinic.” We recently caught up with Professor Appah-Gyamfi to learn more about her background in and passion for environmental justice and hear about the proposed goals, scope of work, and anticipated impacts of this exciting new clinic.

September 25, 2023September 25, 2023

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in Overburdened and Underserved Communities in The District of Columbia

By Tim Nau

The transportation sector was responsible for the largest share of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 (28%). Promoting electric vehicles (“EV”) on the nation’s streets has been an important element of the United States’ strategy for meeting its ambitious goal of achieving a net-zero carbon economy by 2050.

Taking into consideration overburdened and underserved communities creates an important yet often undervalued perspective. This post will address the benefits of promoting equitable deployment of EV charging infrastructure in these communities in the District of Columbia (“DC” or the “District”) as well as the challenges associated with it, and present what has been done so far.